Fabulous BBQ Side Dishes

It is spring. We just lost our winter fat, or we are still trying to. The BBQ gets uncovered, cleaned and ready to use. We marinate our meat, fish and get it ready for the BBQ. It’s always good to have something in the freezer incase friends or neighbors’ stop by. This scenario happens all the time in the summer; someone stops by for a drink and next thing you know they are staying for dinner.

It can be difficult and stressful to decide what to prepare on the fly. Luckily, we have your survival guide.

First things first, go to the fridge and see what you have.......salad – BORING. Why not amp up your side dishes and be the hostess with the mostess.

Bean salad:

We all have random cans of stuff in our cupboards. It has been there all winter waiting to be used, well now is their chance. All you need is 2 or 3 cans of mixed beans, lentils, black beans, kidney beans, chick peas, corn, or any other kind of beans.

Open the cans of beans, rinse, place in a large bowl and set aside

Go to the fridge, do you have anything in your crisper? Do you have onion, peppers, cucumber, radishes, tomato, celery, anything else that you like, pick 2 or 3.

Cut the vegetables into small pieces and add to the beans.

If you like, you can even add a can of mandarin orange or pineapple if that caters to your taste buds.

Throw it all together in the bowl and mix with a large spoon.

Season to taste. What is your flavour…garlic? When adding seasoning always add a little olive oil first, about 2 table spoons. Then add your favourite seasoning. If you like add salt, pepper, red wine vinaigrette, or even chilli pepper to spice it up a little.

Put a tablespoon of each preferred seasoning option you choose, stir and serve.

Roasted Vegetables:

Take whatever you have in your crisper....peppers, onions, zucchini, rutabaga, mushrooms, and broccoli – anything.

Cut long ways and place on a BBQ grilling sheet ( great investment for the summer BBQ season)

Place on BBQ for approximately 5 minutes a side, until they are a little bit crispy around the edges.

Quinoa Salad:

This is the easiest and healthiest salad ever.

Make 4 cups of quinoa, place in fridge to cool.

Add ½ cucumber chopped, 1 chopped onion, and 2 table spoons of Italian seasoning (you can also add celery or your favorite bean, or carrots. This is the great thing about Quinoa you can just add anything to it and it will take on the flavor).

Add everything together and serve (sprinkle a little paragon cheese if you like.)

After 12 years of being in the rat race of the fashion industry Tree Ryde was looking for something to calm her mind body and soul and she found it in yoga finishing her 200H at Kula Yoga in 2007. She was addicted and wanted to deepen her practice of meditation and study the sub-conscious mind. She became a hypnotist in 2014 and works part time at the Burlington Hypnosis centre. Helping clients with anything from weight loss, quit smoking to nail biting. Tree also loves exercise and cook whenever she can, and is always coming across new recipes that are both delicious and nutritious